California Democrats propose $25 minimum wage for health workers

Union-aligned Democrats were set to introduce legislation Wednesday mandating a statewide $25 minimum wage for health workers and support staffers, likely setting up a pitched battle with hospitals, nursing homes, and dialysis clinics.

State Sen. María Elena Durazo's bill would require health facilities and home health agencies to give raises to many support employees, including nurse technicians, housekeepers, security guards, food workers, and laundry providers. The Los Angeles Democrat said workers remain underpaid even as they have played a crucial role in the covid-19 pandemic. Now, she argued, many who earn close to the state's $15.50 minimum wage struggle with inflation.

"How do people survive?" Durazo told KHN ahead of the bill's introduction. "They can't be on the edge of becoming homeless. That's what we're facing."